


Self-destruction

by Bluhungryshrk



Series: WWE Fics [26]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, dean gets protective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 06:18:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19193416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluhungryshrk/pseuds/Bluhungryshrk
Summary: Self-destruction, in Dean's eyes, was a beautiful thing.





	Self-destruction

 

Self-destruction, in Dean's eyes, was a beautiful thing

He would rather he came apart by his own hand than by the hand of someone else. Whether that be enemy or friend, or _more_ , Dean would never want to be seen weak before them; that, to Dean, would be a fate worse than anything that he's ever known.

Dean believed that being weak was as bad as crime. If you were weak, you would have been better off sentencing yourself to a lifetime of pain. People, they are cruel, they exploit and sneer, they laugh and tease.

People, they _hurt_.

Dean had no doubt in his mind that if he allowed himself to be weak, then all the people around him would take advantage. Dean would do the same, and he realises that he isn't too different from the people that he claims to hate. The realisation leaves a bitter taste on his tongue.

Never in his life, did Dean think that he'd met a person who was dumb enough to let people see the true them. Everyone had masks, some more than others, but everyone had one. Everyone had a mask because if you didn't, well, then you weren't going to last long.

And then Daniel Bryan came in.

Dean was shocked that one man could be so open. Daniel wore his heart on his sleeve, and Dean just had to know more, he was entranced. Dean actually had a bet with Seth and Roman about how long he was going to last. Dean guessed a month, and the other two guessed higher, each put in ten dollars, and whilst it was a cruel thing to do, Dean was never going to step down when thirty dollars were just up for grabs.

Daniel just didn't seem right. He wasn't meant to be there, he was the one anomaly in the vast network of people. Daniel was different, and people are always scared of different.

Dean had introduced himself first, and Daniel had welcomed him with big smiles, twinkling eyes and open arms. That part had shocked Dean the most. Daniel just had to have had a plan or something: or was he just that oblivious and naïve that he didn't see how dangerous life, how _people_ , can be? Dean was confused, but there was just something about Daniel that struck something. Dean decided instantly that he did not like what Daniel struck; he didn't like it one bit.

There was something so unsettlingly truthful and honest about Daniel: when Daniel wished him good luck, Dean believed him. When Daniel got angry at the people who beat Dean unfairly (which was more common than he would like to admit), Dean felt like Daniel was being genuine, and that Daniel did actually care.

The part probably shocked him the most.

Dean didn't want to trust Daniel; he already had his brothers, why would he need someone else? Why would he want to trust someone that could potentially hurt him? It just didn't make sense. Dean knew that he could trust Roman and Seth, they had proved that countless times. But Daniel, all he had were sincere words, and blinding smiles and Dean hated - he hated it so much - that those dumb little smiles and those bright blue eyes were enough to gain his trust.

And as Dean hated the fact that Daniel had his trust, he hated even more that the word trust might not be strong enough.

No, Daniel had his everything.

His mind, his soul, his attention, his thoughts, maybe even his love.

_No_. 

Dean didn't love anyone other than his brothers.

But, if anyone was going to get there, it was probably Daniel. 

And Dean didn't, truly, realise just how close Daniel was to getting there until one day, Daniel comes in with a black eye. It felt like time, actually, stopped. Dean dropped what was in his hands and moved, probably faster than he ever had before, over to Daniel. Daniel looked nervous, he looked worried, he looked guilty and it was a look that Dean hated on him.

Dean brought up his hand slowly, it hovered just in front of his face, just like he was worried that Daniel would shatter into a million pieces if Dean touched him. He cupped Daniel's cheek with one hand, his fingers resting on Daniel's neck and his thumb just under Daniel's good eye. Daniel still hadn't looked at him, his eyes focused solely on the floor beneath their feet.

Dean's other hand comes up to grab Daniel's arm lightly, his thumb rubbing circles into his skin, and it's then, only then, when Daniel looks up at him. All Dean can focus on are his eyes: the dazzling irises with a mixture of different hues of blue, and all the twinkle that's usually there is gone. Dean didn't know how that little thing could make him feel so much. Daniel's pupils start to dilate when he looks up at Dean, the blue's quickly vanishing as they are swallowed by the most endearing of blacks.

Dean can't speak, as his eyes focus now on the dark bruising around Daniel's eye. The purple creates an ugly look, a contrast to the beauty that Daniel radiates, and Dean finds anger starting to burn deep inside him. He doesn't ask what happened; he's pretty sure that Daniel will tell him anyway, and he trusts Daniel: he knows that there's a reason as to why this happened. He knows that Daniel was strong enough to fight back against whoever did this. That's because Dean trusts Daniel. And Daniel trusts Dean. That's why Dean knows that Daniel won't be surprised when Dean walks in tomorrow even more hurt than Daniel was.

"They were talking shit about you," Daniel says, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I- I couldn't just stand there and listen to it."

"Who?"

Daniel smiles at that, "You really think that I'm gonna tell you that? I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

"I can handle myself," Dean says with a smirk.

Daniel's smile grows wider at that, and the twinkle in his eyes is back, "We _both_ know that's not true."

Dean is grinning right back at Daniel, and even though worry and anger are burning in the pit of his stomach, he trusts Daniel, maybe more than he's ever trusted anyone else before.

"We both know that I'm going to find whoever did this to you," Dean says, and Daniel can hear the joking tone in his voice, even though he knows that Dean isn't joking in the slightest, "so you may as well tell me now."

"We both know that I'm not gonna tell you," Daniel says.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to do it the hard way then."

"You love the hard way, don't deny it."

Dean chuckles loudly at that, "you know me so well, Daniel."

They both stand there, smiles on both of their faces, despite what they were talking about. Daniel knows that he's going to see Dean the next day covered in cuts and bruises, and he knows that he's going to chastise Dean for being so reckless. Daniel knows that his angry mask will soon fade once he sees the grin on Dean's face.

Daniel knows this because he and Dean aren't so different after all.

Dean lets out a breathy laugh, his bright blue eyes staring right into Daniel's. The wounds won't hurt tomorrow, because the pain makes him feel, they stinging pain will leave as soon as he sees Daniel's eyes on his own. The beauty of self-destruction is only increased by the beauty of Daniel. Yes, he may feel pain, but he'd rather feel pain than nothing at all.  
   
Daniel gives him air: gives him life. Daniel gives him everything that he'd ever want and more.

"It's not hard to know you, Dean. You just gotta get under that tough exterior of yours."

"Maybe," Dean says with some consideration, "or maybe it's just the way you make me feel."

"Oh?" says Daniel, the smirk evident in his voice, "and how do I make you feel, Ambrose?"

"You make me feel alive."


End file.
